What Hamas lacks now are the expert bomb makers and planners who have been picked off in West Bank cities in the past months. The Shin Bet says that the higher proportion of attacks run jointly show each organization's diminishing capacity to launch operations on its own.
However, the Israeli military says there is evidence of a new generation of Hamas bomb-makers in Nablus.
Barry Rubin, director of Jerusalem's centre for global research in international affairs, said that the loss of Sheikh Yassin was a severe blow to Hamas because he drew support from far beyond the confines of the organization. He said the blow to Hamas was compounded by the choice of Abdel-Aziz-al-Rantissi as its new leader.
"Rantissi is not a strong figure, he's not a unifying figure. I don't think his authority is going to be accepted. He certainly doesn't have any religious stature. Hamas is factionalized with differing views on whether to work with the Palestinian Authority or not," he said.
"Hamas is not broken, but it is greatly weakened and its forward movement is stopped. It's a major setback for them and their ability to act strategically."
But Ghazi Hamed, editor of the Hamas newspaper, Al-Resala, says the Israelis misunderstand support for Hamas. "Support for Hamas is built on several things, but one of them is the weakness of the Palestinian Authority and the belief of many Palestinians that not only can it not defend them from the Israelis, but that it collaborates with the Israelis," he said. "Sharon's plans will weaken, not strengthen, the Palestinian Authority -- and that will strengthen Hamas."
RSS